Making new friends is one of the toughest things to do as an adult. As a child, it’s easy – you just walk up to someone and start playing with them. But as an adult, we seem to get less and less comfortable talking to people we don’t know. And if you’re a little bit introverted, it’s even harder.

Here are a few tips for making new friends in a retirement community:

1. Making first contact

No, we’re not talking about aliens here, we’re talking about being that first person to go up to someone else at the retirement home and start the ball rolling. Get over your initial fear and start talking to someone you’ve never met before. You’d be surprised how much you will have in common.

2. Put in the time and effort

Independent living at Cedarwood affords you the time you need to stop worrying about the little chores around the house and, instead, cultivate your friendships. Send some emails, Skype or Facetime, or just look for someone to take a walk with. Make these new friends a priority.

3. Sign up for activities

Cedarwood has tons of activities all over Airdrie and Calgary, whether it is taking a bus trip, heading to a hockey or football game, or going to church. Sign up for the ones that you’re most interested in and see who’s coming with you.

4. Get out of your room

It’s easy to sit in your room, watch TV or read, and stay sheltered from everyone else. But you’re never going to make any new friends doing that. Get into the common rooms or eat with everyone else in dining room.

Sometimes it’s hard to work up the courage to talk to new people, so ask one of the friendly staff here at Cedarwood to introduce you to someone new. We love to see people chatting and getting along – it makes everyone’s life better.